Twistzz Rejects Offer from Falcons: A Closer Look at Saudi Arabia’s Esports Presence

Amidst the growing interest of Saudi Arabia in the world of Counter-Strike, a surprising revelation was made today by Twistzz, one of the prominent stars in CS2. The talented player confirmed that he had been approached by Falcons, a Saudi organization aiming to create a superteam for 2024. However, Twistzz quickly turned down their offer.

In an interview with Pley during the opening day of BLAST Premier Fall Final on November 22nd, Twistzz openly expressed his decision stating, “I guess I can say that publicly… they just contacted me but I turned it down fast.” He further elaborated on his reasons behind declining the opportunity and emphasized his commitment to his career rather than monetary gains.

“If it was about the money then… obviously if I wanted the bag and I didn’t care about my career, then I would go to Falcons,” said Twistzz. “But I do care about my career. I have morals and it’s not about the money.”

The exact nature of Twistzz’s concerns regarding Falcons and their association with Saudi Arabia were not discussed in detail during this particular interview. However, speculations suggest that his mention of “morals” could be related to issues such as human rights records, anti-LGBTQ+ laws, and media censorship prevalent in the country.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been strategically using traditional sports as a means to improve its international image in a phenomenon known as “sportswashing.” This trend is now noticeable in the realm of esports, with Saudi Arabia acquiring ownership of ESL FACEIT Group and investing heavily in NEOM, an ambitious gaming hub. Furthermore, they are also set to organize the Esports World Cup in 2024 with a staggering prize pool of $45 million.

Although Falcons hasn’t achieved significant success in the world of Counter-Strike since their venture into CS:GO began last year, this might change soon as reports suggest that they are sparing no expense to build a superteam. The organization has already secured legendary coach zonic from Vitality and allegedly signed Magisk and Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer. However, negotiations with NiKo fell through when he refused to join their ranks.

Interestingly enough, while Twistzz declined Falcon’s offer and chose not to leave FaZe Clan for them; rumors are circulating that he may be returning to Team Liquid instead.